Reports say Belgian international defender Ciman to join Impact as DP

CP

MONTREAL - According to various reports, Belgian international defender Laurent Ciman has agreed to a three-year contract with the Montreal Impact as a designated player.

The reports said 29-year-old Ciman will join Montreal on a free transfer from his Belgian club Standard Liege. He is expected to play his final match for Standard on Sunday against rival Anderlecht and join the Impact some time next week.

Montreal has not confirmed the reports, but this week technical director Adam Braz told mlssoccer.com: "Laurent is a player we identified and targeted. He is in the final stages of coming to an agreement with his club team to mutually terminate his contract and we hope to have everything finalized in the near future."

The six-foot central defender is described as a solid tackler and passer who can fill the void left by the departure of Italian Matteo Ferrari.

Ciman reportedly wants to move to Montreal to get top-level care for his autistic daughter, and that was why Standard agreed to let him go.

He has played nine times for Belgium and was an unused member of the Belgian squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He has extensive first division experience in Belgium with Charleroi, Club Brugge and Standard, who he joined in 2010.

He would be the Impact's second designated player, joining Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti.

The club is still seeking a replacement for departed striker and DP Marco di Vaio.